Rowing or sculling on water are enjoyable forms of recreation and exercise. In terms of exercise, the rower or sculler benefits from a full body exercise, as rowing and sculling involves exercising numerous muscle groups of the torso and upper and lower extremities. However, those who enjoy this outdoor activity are limited by proximity to a large body of water or by ambient weather conditions.
In order to have rowing or sculling always available, regardless of weather or geography, machines attempting to simulate the rowing or sculling experience have been developed in the past. However, these machines remain limited because of their use of spring based or dashpot based resistance to motion, unilateral actuation or they are cumbersome. A user may experience a semblance of rowing by moving members simulating oars; however, rowing loads as reflected to the user by the machine may not be realistic or predictable. Accordingly, the rowing experience, provided by prior designs, may not simulate well the sensation of rowing or sculling on water.